Online Bible | The Bible in Living English

DISPLAY

Would you like to read this article in %%?

1 Chronicles 11:1-47

11 And all Israel gathered to David at Hebron saying “Here we are, your flesh and blood.2 Even formerly, even when Saul was king, it was you that led Israel out and in; and your God Jehovah said to you ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be warden over my people Israel.’”3 And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David gave pledges to them at Hebron before Jehovah, and they anointed David king over Israel in accordance with Jehovah’s word by Samuel,4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus; and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the country, were there.5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David “You will not get in here.” And David took the fastness of Sion, what is now David’s City.6 And David said “Anyone who strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and captain”; and Joab the son of Serujah was first up, and became chief.7 And David fixed his residence in the fastness (that is why they call it David’s City)8* and built the fortifications of the city all round, from the Millo the full circuit, and Joab renewed the remainder of the city.9 And David grew greater and greater, and Jehovah of Armies was with him.10 And these were David’s chief champions who were active in his service in his reign over all Israel, to make him king in accordance with Jehovah’s word by Samuel.11* And this is the count of the champions David had: Ishbaal the son of Hacmoni, head of the Thirty; he brandished his spear over three hundred killed at one time.12 And next to him Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite; he was among the Three Champions;13 he had been with David at Pas-Dammim, and the Philistines had come together there for war, and there was a field full of barley, and the people had fled from the Philistines;14 and he took his stand in the middle of the field and rescued it; and they defeated the Philistines, and Jehovah granted a great victory.15 And three of the Chief Thirty went down to the rock to David at the cave of ʽAdullam, when a Philistine army was camping in Ghost Hollow;16* and David was in the fastness then, and the Philistine prefect was then at Bethlehem.17 And David was taken with a craving, and said “I wish I had a drink of water out of the Bethlehem well at the gate”;18 and the three burst through the Philistine camp and drew water out of the Bethlehem well at the gate and carried it away to David. But David would not drink it, but poured it out as an offering to Jehovah,19* and said “My God forbid the thought of my doing this: shall I drink these men’s blood with their lives in it?” because they had brought it at the risk of their lives; and he would not drink it.These things the three champions did.20 And Joab’s brother Abishai, he was head of the Three; and he brandished his spear over three hundred killed, and used to be named among the Three.21* He was more honored in fame than the Three, and became captain over them, but he did not get into the Three.22 Benajah the son of Jehojadaʽ, a man of mettle and of many exploits, from Kabseel: it was he who killed the two Ariels of Moab, and who went down and killed the lion in the cistern on the day of the snowstorm,23 and who killed the Egyptian, a tall man, seven and a half feet, the Egyptian having in his hand a spear like a weaver’s pole and he going down to him with a cudgel and snatching the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killing him with his own spear.24 These things Benajah the son of Jehojadaʽ did, and used to be named among the Three Champions;25 he was, be it noted, more honored than the Thirty, but did not get into the Three; but David set him over his guard.26 And the champions of the troops: Joab’s brother ʽAsahel, Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem,27 Shammoth the Harodite, Heles the Pelonite,28 ʽIra the son of ʽIkkesh the Tekoʽite, Abiʽezer the ʽAnathothite,29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, ʽIlai the Ahohite,30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baʽanah the Netophathite,31 Ithai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites, Benajah the Pireathonite,32 Hurai from the Gaʽash ravines, Abiel the ʽArbathite,33 ʽAzmaveth the Baharumite, Eljahba the Shaʽalbonite,34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagah the Hararite,35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,36 Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pilonite,37 Hesro the Carmelite, Naʽarai the son of Ezbai,38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,39 Selek the ʽAmmonite, Naharai the Beerothite, squire to Joab the son of Serujah,40 ʽIra the Jetherite, Gareb the Jetherite,41 Urijah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,42** ʽAdina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites and about him thirty,43 Hanan the son of Maʽacah and Joshaphat the Mathnite,44 ʽUzija the ʽAshterathite, Shamaʽ and Jeʽuel the sons of Hotham the ʽAroʽerite,45 Jediʽael the son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tisite,46* Eliel the Mahumite and Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaʽam, and Ithmah the Moabite,47* Eliel and ʽObed and Jaʽasiel the Mesobajah.